Bardhan seeks PM`s intervention in IFS officer harassment case

Accusing Environment Minister
Jairam Ramesh of "dithering" on a CBI probe into the alleged
harassment of a "whistleblower" IFS officer in Haryana, CPI
leader A B Bardhan has sought the intervention of Prime
Minister.

New Delhi: Accusing Environment Minister
Jairam Ramesh of "dithering" on a CBI probe into the alleged
harassment of a "whistleblower" IFS officer in Haryana, CPI
leader A B Bardhan has sought the intervention of Prime
Minister to ensure that the guilty are punished.
Referring to the the recommendation of a two-member
central government panel for a CBI probe into the "harassment"
suffered by the 2002 batch Indian Forest Service officer
Sanjiv Chaturvedi at the hands of "powerful vested interests"
in the state, Bardhan citing media reports alleged that Ramesh
"is dithering on CBI probe into the matter."

"I have come to know from the media reports that
Jairam Ramesh is dithering on CBI probe into the matter,
inspite of clear refusal of the Haryana Government to probe
the case, which has even questioned the intent of the Union
Government into the matter, as per the reports," the party
General Secretary said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh dated April 18.

Bardhan, who earlier wrote to Prime Minister on
the same issue in February this year, also pointed out the
reports that some senior bureaucrats of the Environment
Ministry are involved in whittling down the demand for a
CBI enquiry.
The Communist leader observed that the case has become
very prominent one, in view of the extensive media coverage
and any action taken into this case would have a far reaching
implications on the morale of honest bureaucrats.

"I request you to kindly rise above any party
considerations in this case and take the decision like a
statesman, as the problem of corruption has infected the
entire system like an epidemic and it would not be cured
unless certain surgical actions are taken," he wrote.

"Therefore, I once again request you to kindly ensure
that the case is immediately referred to CBI for
investigation, so that the guilty persons could be brought to
book, at the earliest," Bardhan added.

Last month, Ramesh had said that the government was
going "stepwise" on the recommendation of the two-member
Ministry panel that had brought out vivid details of the
harassment suffered by Chaturvedi, including at the hands of
the Chief Minister`s office and then forest minister Kiran
Chaudhary.

It was alleged that harassment of Chaturvedi included
frequent transfers -- 12 in five years, suspension and
fabricated charge sheet for exposing large-scale
irregularities in various projects, development of herbal park
on private land belonging to politically influential persons
and preventing the destruction of Saraswati Wildlife Sanctuary
from influential contractors.

Chaturvedi`s suspension was revoked by President
Pratibha Patil in January following submission of the report
by the committee headed by Inspector General of Forests A K
Shrivastava and AIG Shally Ranjan.